fowler



` 35 against an L UNITED STATES PATENT OEFCE.

\v1LLIAM1-tro\vLEE, 0E rn'1LanELrnIaPENNSYLVANTA, Assienoa To MARTIN J. MYERS,

CLOTH-CUT'TlNG MACHINE.

OF SAME PLACE.

sPE'crFmA'rroN forming part ofLetters Patent 110,245,149, dated August v2, 1881.

Application tiled June ll, 1551. (No inodeh) Y I To all whom vit may concern:

Be it known that l, WILLIAM RFOWLER, a citizen of the United States, residing in lPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain 5 lmprovements in Cloth- Cutting Machines, of

which the following is aspecilication.

illy invention relates to certain improvements in the clothlcutting machine for which Letters Patent were allowed to me on the Sth dav ot' to April,18S1,tliepresentimprovements relating to certain details in the construction ot' vthe apparatus, with the object of simplifying its construction and increasing its eiliciencv, all as hereinafter fully set forth. i t 5 In the accompanying'(lrawings, Figure l, Sheet 1, is a' perspective view ot' the cloth-cutter embodying my improvements, a portion only of the. cloth-supporting table or bed being shown. Fig. 2, Sheet 2, is a side view, 2o partly in section and drawn .arger scale, of the knife and knife-frame with a portion of the supporting-arm; Fig. 3, a sectionalplan on the line 1 2,Fig. 2; Figs. et and 5, detached views of parts of the device, andFigs. 6 and 2 5 7 views of instruments which are used in connection with the cutting device.

The machine is similar inprinciple to that above alluded to, the clothsupporting bed A consisting of 'wiresprojecting vertically from 3o a suitable backing' and spaced so as to permit the free'traversing through the b ed in any direction ot' the cutting-knife B, the latter bein gadapted tocut on the upward stroke, and the cloth or other material heilig pressed thereby abutment-plate, D, which rests on and is moved over the 'surface of the said material. rEhe knife B, whichI use in the present instance,ihowever, is widest at. and near the cutting-Sedge w, and is reduced 1n wldth at 4o the lower end, the objectof this arrangement being to permit the free turning of the knife in the bed without the necessity of limiting the widthl of the cutting-edge, the wide portion of the knife, when the latter is in. the bed, 45`occupying a lposition adjacent to the elastic upper endsof the'wires, which are free to yield Y when the knife is brought into contact with j the same,.while the narrow lowerend of the t blade, which occupies a position adjacent to i 5c the comparatively rigid bases of the wires, is

adapted to an opening of less width than the spaces between the wires, and consequently meets withno opposition in turnin The reciprocating movement of the knife also facilitates the turning of said knife in the bed, as the period ot" contact of the wide 5 5 upper end of the knii'eblade with the wires is so short `that said wires exercise no appreci able resistance to the turning of the blade;

The knife has a shank, u, which is' adapted to a stem, b, the latter embracing the sha-nk of 6o the knife and being` provided with a 'transverse screw or pin, which can bc adapted to any one of a series ofl openings, c', in the said knifeshank, so that thc latter can be adjusted vertically in respect to thc stem b to compensate for wear; (See Fig. L1.)

The stem bis secured to a block, d, which is adapted to a vertical guiding-slot in a frame, E, and a' tubular journal, e, on the latter is in a projcctioii,f, on the end of an arm, F, thcjonrnal e being provided with acollar or nut, e'., so that, while it is secured vertically to the arm F, it is free'to turn in the projection f of said arm on manipulating a handle, Gr, with which the frame E is furnished. The stem of this handle. projects through a slot in a vertical standard of the abutment-plate D, so that the latter can be A adjusted verticallyr in respect to the frame E, to accord-with the thickness of the pile of 8o cloth to be cut, the plate being secured in position after adjustment by tightening a nut, g, on the threaded stem of the handle. Stability of the"plate'D 4is insured by providing the meeting-faces of the standard and frame E withnotches and projections, the notches of one part receiving the projections ofthe other part, and thustsecnrely locking the parts in position after adjustment.

The knife B passes through a slot inthe plate D, and the latter has a'icasing, h, which -prctectsthe cutting-edge of the knife when the latterrr'ises above the cloth, injury to either the attendant or the knife being thus prevented. e

On the inside ot' the casing h are straps i, which serve to retain masses of absorbent ma- `t'erial, the lower ends of whichrest on' the Vplate D and serve to absorb any oil which may find its way to said plate from the bea-rings aboveI :o0

the soiling of the cloth by this oil being thus prevented.

The projecting portion of theplateD is made in skeleton form, being grated in the present instance, so that while sutcient bearing-sur face is presented the plate does not materially obstruct the view of the lines marked on the surface of the cloth.

The arm F, which carries the knife-guiding frame E, is pivoted to an arm F', and the latter is hung to a iixed vertical standard, J, which is secured to the floor of the room adjacent to one side of the table A. the l'atter being preferablymounted on wheels or casters, so that it can be moved longitudinally in respect to the standard J, so that when one portion of the cloth within the sweep of the arms F F' has been acted upon the table may be readjusted and a fresh portion brought under the action of the knife.

To prevent excessive strain on the pivot-pin of the arm F', said arm is furnished with antifriction rollers m, which are adapted to a segmental track, a, on the standard J, and serve to support the arms F F in their proper horizontal plane above the table A. Power is transmitted from a shaft, K, to the knife in the following manner: A belt, p, passes round a pulley, s, on said shaft K, thence over idlers s' s', carried by the arm F', and thence round a pulley, t, which is secured to a shaft, k, forming the pivot-pin of the arms F F. This shaft 7s also carries a bevel-wheel, t', which gears into a pinion, t2, on one end of a shaft, M, the latter being adapted to bearings in the arm F, and heilig provided at its front end with a disk having a crank-pin which is connected by a suitable rod, v, to a sleeve, a', fitting between collars v2 on a rod, N, so that the latter is reciprocated vertically by, but is free to turn independently of, the sleeve a. The rod N carries the knife block d, and is adapted to bearings in the tubular journal of the frame E and in a projcction,f, of the arm F, as shown in Fig. 2. The stem b occupies a position in the rear of the rod N, so that the center line of the said rod will be in line, or thereabout, with the center of the cutting-edge of the knife B, and the latter will not project unduly on either side of the axis of rotation. This construction is not essential, however, and is merely adopted as a matter of convenience.

In order to permit convenient access to the knife, as well as to -facilitate the action of cutting stripsinthe manner described hereinafter, I discontinue the bed A some distance from the frame of the table at one side, so as to leave a channel or passage, w, Fig. 1.

In cutting small pieces of cloth it is sometimes necessary to apply pressure to the top of the same, in order to retain them upon the bed and prevent them from being pushed along by the khife as the latter is traversed through the bed. f In order to conveniently effect this I provide the instrument shown in Fig. 6, which rconsists of an elastic strip or rod bent so as to form a handle, P, with two projecting prongs, P', the latter being adapted to rest on the surface of the cloth and hold the latter on each side of the knife, and as closely to the latter as may be desired, the elasticity of the strip permitting the contraction of the prongs P' to any required extent. The under sides of the prongs may, if desired, be roughened to aiord a rmer hold on the cloth.

For cutting strips I use a guiderod, S, (Fig. 7,) this guide-rod being pivoted to a frame, T, which is adapted to the upper edge of the frame of the table, and is free to slide longitudinally thereon. The angle of the rod S in respect to the frame T is determined, andthe securing of said rod in position after adjustment is effected by means of a brace, S', also pivoted to the frame T, but slotted at the outer end for the reception of the stem of a thumb-screw, y, on the arm S..

The guidance of the knife-carrier by the arm S is effected through the medium of a forked plate, W, secured to the standard ofthe plate D, and having recesses `for the reception of a ange on the rod S, as shown in Fig. 5, the plate W being adjustable vertically in the same manner as the plate D, and being retained in. position by the nut g after adjustment.

The Width of the cut strips is determined by an adjustable gage, V, which is hung to the frame T, and which bears on the edge of the layers of cloth on the bed, the distance of the gage from the knife determining the width of the strips, which, after each cut, are removed and the frame Treadjusted until the gage bears against the freshly-eut edge ofthe cloth, when it is secured in position prior to making another cut. During the adjustment of the frame T the knife occupies a position in the passage or channel w.

I claim as my invention- 1. The within-described cutting-knife, consisting of a blade having a cutting-edge, w, adapted to cut on the upward stroke, and having the portion below said edge reduced in width, so as to present a narrow tongue at and near the lower end of the blade, as set forth.

2. The combination of a cutting-bed composed of upright elastic projections, a plate adapted to bear on the surface of the cloth or other material to be cut, and a knife reduced in width so as to present a narrow tongue at and near .the lower end, said knife having a cutting-edge, adapted to cut on the upward stroke, as set forth.

3. The co'mbination of the arm F, the knifeguiding frame E, its handle, stem, and nut g, and the plate D, having a verticallyslotted standard, as set forth.

4. The combination of a cutting-bed, substantially as described, a knife adapted to cut on the upward stroke, and an abutment-plate, D, of skeleton form, as set forth.,

5. The combination of the abutment-plateD with holders of absorbent material, as setforth.

6. The combination, in a cloth-cutting machine,

of the standard J, having a. segmental track, n, with the arms FF', and the rollers m., as specified. v

v7. The combination of the standard J, arms F F', shaft K, pulleys s, s', andtv,beve1wheels t" t, and shafts M and 7:, as set forth.

8. The cloth-supporting bed, having a. passage or channel, w, at one edge, as set forth.

9. The work-holding de'ice, comprising a handle, P, with elastic prongs P', as set forth.

10.' The combination of the knife-carrier with the gniding-rod-S, bracing-rod S', and adjustable frame T, as specified.

11. The combination of the guiderod S and 'adjustable i'rame'I-with the gage V, as set forth. 1 5

12. The combination of the guide-rod S -with the knife-carrier, having the gnideframe W, as set forth.

13. The combination of the plate 1) and the kniilowith the shield 71, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in .the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

w-M. n.' FowLEn.

Witnesses:`

JAMES F. ToniN,

HARRY SMITH. 

